Roger Clemens to Throw Ceremonial First Pitch at Polar Park Opening Day

Roger Clemens will throw the ceremonial first pitch to open the Worcester Red Sox home schedule on March 27, a headline moment that doubles as a milestone for Polar Park and a marketing lift for the WooSox as they begin their 5th Anniversary Season.

The Worcester Red Sox said in a press release that “A ‘Rocket’ will launch the Worcester Red Sox’ ‘5th Anniversary Season’ as 7-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens makes his Polar Park debut and throws the Ceremonial First Pitch March 27, at 4:05 p.m., on Opening Day, presented by CITGO.” Gates will open at 1:00 p.m., pregame ceremonies will begin around 3:15 p.m., and the Triple-A matchup pits Worcester against the Syracuse Mets. The game will be available on Bally Sports Live.

Clemens’ appearance is being staged as a reunion and a commemoration. Rich Gedman will catch the ceremonial pitch as part of honoring the 40th anniversary of Clemens and Gedman’s 20-strikeout game and the 1986 pennant season. MassLive’s coverage underscores Clemens’ Hall-of-Fame-era résumé: seven Cy Young Awards, 13 seasons with the Red Sox, AL MVP in 1986, and the unique distinction of recording 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game twice.

Fans will get a suite of interactive moments the franchise hopes will translate into regular-season momentum. One fan will escort Clemens to the mound via an entry contest on the team’s website, and fans can meet and take photos with Clemens at Sherwood’s Diner on Summit Street during the game, although the club has said Clemens is precluded from signing autographs. CITGO will present an Opening Day Commemorative Photo Giveaway as fans exit, and UniBank Fireworks set to “The Music of the Red Sox” will cap the night.

The Clemens event coincides with a string of facility improvements intended to sharpen Polar Park’s hospitality appeal and drive revenue from group outings and corporate bookings. Worcester Business Journal reporting highlights a new canopy roof over the Hanover Deck in left field, pavers and new food and beverage options for the Triple Decker Garden behind the right-field Worcester Wall, and other comfort upgrades that the franchise says were spurred by fan feedback. “The Hanover Deck is our largest area for group outings, and groups have told us they would love to have more shade and the assurance of a roof for their events,” said WooSox President Charles Steinberg. Bill Wanless, senior vice president of communications for the WooSox, told the Worcester Business Journal that “In total, this year’s upgrades to the park are expected to cost in the seven-figure range.” Diamond Baseball Holdings, which purchased a majority share of the club in 2023, is funding the work.

On the field, Worcester arrives off a 76-73 season in 2025 that produced several promotions to Boston, including Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. MassLive noted that Anthony and Mayer figure to be top candidates for Boston’s Opening Day roster while Tolle and Early will compete in a crowded rotation, a concrete reminder that Triple-A promotions remain the primary product for fans and for the club’s business model.

For fans, the Clemens pitch is more than nostalgia; it is a spotlight play that ties nostalgia, stadium investment and player development into a single night. Tickets start at $5 and are available at the Polar Park ticket office at 100 Madison Street or by phone at (508) 500-8888. The event will test upgraded amenities, draw regional attention during the club’s anniversary, and set the tone for a season in which Worcester aims to turn facility investment into higher attendance and deeper ties to the Boston-area baseball pipeline.